WMG Endorses HRC 51 Joint Civil Society Statement on Abortion

This year, the HRC 51 Joint Civil Society Statement on Abortion gathered the signatures of 425 organizations and 459 individuals, including that of the Women’s Major Group. Together, we sent a strong message to the international community for safe and legal abortion. The statement was delivered to the Item 8 : Follow-up to and Implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action discussion at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, on Monday, 3 October. You can view the delivery of the statement here if you’ve missed it live.

Thank you, President.

This statement is on behalf of over 425 organisations.

We recognise International Safe Abortion Day, and we celebrate civil society and feminist movements around the world for their courageous advocacy and activism that has resulted in the liberalisation of abortion laws in more than 58 countries since 1994. We remind states that being forced to keep an unintended pregnancy amounts to torture and is in contravention of the letter and spirit of the Vienna Declaration.

The trend of decriminalisation, provision of access to self-managed abortions and removing unnecessary legal restrictions to abortion services must continue until all persons can secure their right to bodily autonomy without discrimination. Any regression, such as recently experienced in the US, is an outlier and should be strongly condemned by the international community.

We welcome the 2022 WHO Abortion Care Guideline that recommends the full decriminalisation of abortion, universal access to abortion and self-management options. Many states continue to undermine the fulfilment of human rights by denying bodily autonomy, criminalising abortion, not having clear standards and guidelines on safe abortion, imposing third-party authorisation and denying lifesaving health services.

The human rights framework can only remain relevant if the right to bodily autonomy is ensured for all. It is the only way forward to make the Vienna commitments a reality today.

Thank you.

Signatories:

Organisations

ABEF-ND
ABGLT – Associação Brasileira de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transexuais e Intersexos
Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
Aborto Libre Guayaquil
Acción para el Desarrollo y la Igualdad
Acción Por Igualdad
Action 4 Change
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Action de Solidarite des Femmes pour le Developpement en Milieu Rural; ASOFED-MR asbl
ActionAid Australia
Actions Communautaires pour le Développement de la Femme (ACDF)
Actisal
ADEM
AFFIDARE (Asociación de Feministas Independientes y Diversxs de Arequipa)
African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
African Youth Safe Abortion Alliance (AYOSA)
AFSOG
AGUIBEF(Associação Guineense Para o Bem Estar Familiar)
AisFor.org
Akãhatã
Albanian Center for Population and Development
Alberta Pro-choice Coalition
Alianza para la Educación Inclusiva
Alianza por la Niñez y adolescencia del Ecuador
Alianza por la Solidaridad
Amnesty International
AMODEFA
Anis – Instituto de Bioética
Articulación Feminista Marcosur
Artvism
Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Asia Pacific Transgender Network
Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW)
Asociación Americana de Juristas
Asociación Ciudadana ACCEDER
Asociación de Mujeres Transgeneras Nicaragüenses
Asociación LADECOM
Asociación Médica Argentina de Anticoncepción
Asociación Profamilia
Asociación Sindical de Profesionales de la Salud Pcia de Bs AS (CICOP)
Asociatia SEXUL vs BARZA
Association Congolaise pour les Droits et la Santé
Association For Promotion Sustainable Development
Association for Women in Development (AWID)
Association HERA XXI MA Georgia IPPFEN
Association pour la Conservation et la Protection des Ecosystèmes des Lacs et l’Agriculture Durable
Association pour les victimes du monde
Austrian Family Planning Association (OGF)
Avesa
Azerbaijan International Women Fund
Balance Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud AC
Bangladesh Krishok Federation
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
BAPSA
Botswana Trans Initiative
CADIRE CAMEROON ASSOCIATION
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
CAMNAFAW
Campaña 28 de septiembre Potosí
Campaña 28 de septiembre Tarija
Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA GUYANA)
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir Bolivia
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir México
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir Nicaragua
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Argentina
Cdm
CEFA . Centro de estudios y capacitación familiar
Center for Sustainable Community Development
Center Women and Modern World
Centre de Femmes La Marie Debout
Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal
Centre for Girls and Interaction (CEGI)
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation
Centre for Reproductive Rights
Centre for the Study of Adolescence
Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CYECE)
Centro de Derechos de Mujeres
Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)
Centro de Investigación para la Acción Femenina (CIPAF)
Centro de la mujer peruana Flora Tristan
Centro de Promoción y Defensa de Derechos Humanos y Género (CEPRODEG)
Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos – PROMSEX
Centro Ecuatoriano para la Promoción y Acción de la Mujer – CEPAM Guayaquil
Centrul FILIA
Centrum Praw Kobiet // Women’s Rights Center
CEMP Panama
CEPIA- Cidadania Estudo Pesquisa Informaçao Açao
CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research
CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality
CIDP NGO Sindh Hyderabad
Citizens Alliance for Democracy Ethics & Transparency in Governance (CADETing)
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
CLADEM Bolivia
Clear Vision for Change
Clinique des femmes de l’Outaouais
Climate Youth Japan
CNS
Coalición Feminista Universitaria
Coalición por la Vida y Salud de las Mujeres
COALITION DES DYNAMIQUES DES FILLES AUTOCHTONES EN RDC “CODYFA”
Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR)
Coalition of African Lesbians
Colectiva Batambá
Colectiva por la Libre Información para las Mujeres
Colectiva Salud Mujeres
Colectivo de Género, Acción y Política
Colectivo Feminista Abrazadas&Autónomas
Colectivo Marcha del Orgullo Lima – Perú
Colectivo por la Igualdad de Género-Piura
Colectivo Rebeldía Bolivia
Coletivo Feminista 4D (Rio de Janeiro/ Brasil)
Collectif pour le libre choix
Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de las Mujeres – CLADEM- República Dominicana
Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de las Mujeres CLADEM
Community Development Society
Community Healthcare Initiative
Community Safety and Mediation Center
Comunidad de Derechos Humanos
Consejo de las Mujeres,Género y Diversidad Tornquist
Consorcio Boliviano de Juventudes
Coordinadora de la Mujer
Coordinadora Transversal de Mujeres Organizadas
Corporacion Humanas Chile
Corporación Red Somos
CREA
CTA trabajadores chubut
Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA)
DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era)
DECIDE Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos AC
DEEPS
Defensoria de la mujer ong
Sexual Health Center Saskatoon
Dominicana CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS DE GENERO
Dorothy Njemanze Foundation
Dziewuchy Berlin
E-Romnja Association (The Association for Roma Women’s Rights)
East, Central and Southern Africa OBGYN Communications Committee.
ECOM – Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity
Ecuménicas por el Derecho a Decidir
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
EMPOWER INDIA
Engender
Entre Nosotras
Entretejidas
Equality Now
Equidad de Género, Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia
Eshet Children and Youth Development Organization(ECYDO)
Estonian Gynaecologists’ Society
Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Eti Mbono Gender Concerns Foundation
European Network of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ENTOG)
FAMILY HEALTH OPTIONS KENYA (FHOK)
Family Life Association of Eswatini
Family Planning and Sexual Health Association
Family Planning Association Sri Lanka
FDIM
FEDERA Foundation for Women and Family Planning, Poland
Federación Argentina de Medicina General
Federación colombiana de ginecología y obstetricia FECOLSOG
Fédération Laïque de Centres de planning familial (FLCPF – BE)
FemBud Nigeria
Feminismo Comunitario Antipatriarcal Bolivia
Feminismoinc
Feminists in Kenya
FEMME HANDICAPEE SANS FRONTIERE(FHSF)
FIDH
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM)
FONDATION ISHIABWE KITHOKO ANDRE FONDIKA RDC
Fondation PROFA
Foro Feminista Magaly Pineda (FFMP)
Foro Pampeano por el derecho al aboeto LS y G
Forum Asia
Forum for Dignity Initiatives – fdi
Forum For Women & Development
Fòs Feminista, International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice
FRONT Association, Romania
Fundacion Arcoiris por el respeto a la diversidad sexual
Fundacion cigesar
Fundación Colectivo Cabildeo
Fundación FUNDINVE
Fundación Guayaquil Canábico
Fundación Mujer & Mujer
Fundacion Mujeres x Mujeres
Fundación Oriéntame – Colombia
Fundacion para Estudio e Investigacion de la Mujer
Fundación PROSER – Colombia
Fundación Sendas
Fundatia Corona
Fusa AC
GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation
Gen-ethisches Netzwerk e.V.
Generation Alive
GENERATION INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH NETWORK (GIWYN)
Gestos.org
Girls Opportunity Network of Liberia
Global Alliance against Traffic in Women
Global Doctors for Choice
Global Health Justice Partnership of the Yale Law and Public Health Schools, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP)
Global Women’s Health, Rights and Empowerment Initiative
Gobernanza Mx
Gramin Punarnirman Sansthan
Gramin yuva evam bal Vikas parisad
Grossesse-Secours
GROUPE DE VOLONTAIRES POUR LA PROMOTION DE LA MATERNITE SANS RISQUES EN RDC “GVP-MASAR/RDC”
Hábitat Mujer Salud
Halifax Sexual Health Centre
Hawaii Institute For Human Rigjts
HEAL Foundation
Help & Shelter, Guyana
HERA – Health Education and Research Association
HIV Justice Network
Hospital Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez
HRM “Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan”
Humanists International
ILGA World
Incidencia Feminista
Indivisible Activate NYC
INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre
Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Mujeres Defensoras de Derechos Humanos.
Iniciativas Sanitarias
INITIATIVE DES JEUNES FILLES EN ACTION “IJEFA”
Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, University of Southern California
International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion
International Commission of Jurists
International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
International Network of Liberal Women
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
Intersex Human Rights Australia
Ipacc
Ipas
Ipas Bolivia
Ipas Ethiopia
Ipas LAC
Ipas Mocambique
Ipas Nepal
IPPF
IPPF SARO
Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Jessica Laura Foundation
JOICFP (Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning)
Jóvenas Latidas
Katya Zamalloa Echegaray
Kazakhstan Association on Sexual and Reproductive Health – KMPA
Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network (KELIN)
Kenya Poverty Elimination Network (K-PEN)
KIAMBU SEX WORKERS ASSOCIATION
Korean House for International Solidarity
La Corriente Mujeres y Diversidad
La Cubeta Batucada Feminista
La Strada International
Las Dignas
Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association
LGBT Centre
Ligue pour les Droits de la Femme Congolaise (LDFC)
Lok Chetna Vikas Kendra, Nawada
Love Matters
Lubuskie Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Kobiet BABA
Malawi SRHR Alliance
Mamás Sororas de Bolivia-Cbba
Manifa Lublin
MANODIVERSA
Margaret Pyke Trust
MARIJÀN |Organisation féministe
MenEngage Global Alliance
Metzineres SCCL
Minkayni
Minority Womyn in Action
MOPREDS congo
Mother of Hope Cameroon – MOHCAM
Movimiento Manuela Ramos
Movimiento Mujeres Sectores Populares Luna Creciente Ecuador
MSI Reproductive Choices
Mujeres por la paz
Mundosur
MYSU
Namibia Planned Parenthood Association – IPPF
Naripokkho
National Birth Equity Collaborative
National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal
National Lawyers Guild International Committee
National Women’s Health Network
Network for Adolescent and Youth of Africa
NGO ” Woman Health &Family Planning , IPPF MA, Ukraine
North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS)
Nosotras la preferimos sencilla – Honduras
Nowaii Ida M. Kaiser
Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore
Onelife Initiative
Optio
Options for Sexual Health
Organisation For Health In Sustainable Development
Organización de Mujeres Tierra Viva
Organización de Mujeres Tierra Viva, Guatemalaà
Otrans
OutRight Action International
Oxfam
PA WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION “ALGA”
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
Peitamos
Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta (Jakarta Feminist)
Physicians for Human Rights
Plan International
Planet Ally
Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN)
Planned Parenthood Global
Planned Parenthood NL Sexual Health Centre
Planned Parenthood Ottawa
Plataforma Somos Muchas
plataforma virtual de trata, trafico y delitos conexos “dejando huellas” santa cruz
Politics4Her
Principle 17
PROFA
Profamilia
Program on Global Health and Human Rights, University of Southern California
Protiva sangstha
Prowincja Równości
Proyecto Iskay
RAWSA MENA network
Red Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir de América Latina y el Caribe – Red CDD LAC
Red de Médicas por el Derecho a Decidir – México
Red de profesionales por la salud integral de mujeres y niñas.
Red Ecuatoriana de Fe
Red Iberoamericana de profesionales de la salud sexual y salud reproductiva REDISSER
Red Latinoamérica contra la violencia de género
Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir
RED REDMUDE. Filial La Ceiba Atlantida
Rede Nacional de Mulheres Negras no Combate á Violência
Rede Nacional Feminista de Saúde Direitos Sexuais e Direitos Reprodutivos
REDISSER
Regional Integrated Recovering Addicts Support Program
Repro Justice Congo (RjC)
Reproductive Health Network Kenya
Réseau d’Afrique centrale pour la santé reproductive des femmes Gabon,Cameroun,Guinée Équatoriale (GCG)
Resonalia
RFSU
Rights for All Women
RIMLAC
Rise and Resist
Romanian Women’s Lobby
ROSES NGO
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Rural Women and Girls’Rights Foundation
RURAL WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION “ALGA”
Rutgers
S.O.S. Grossesse
Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF)
safe2choose.org
SAGIJ
Saleema Noon Sexual Health Educators
Samajik Vikas Samiti Dholpur
Sanklapa Darchula Nepal(Sankalpa)
SANTE SEXUELLE SUISSE
Se Non Ora Quando? Comitato di Torino
SEDRA-Federación Planificación Familiar
Sensoa
Sex og Politikk (IPPF Norway)
SEX vs The STORK Association, Romania
Sexual Rights Initiative
SHORE Centre
SIESAR
SIGO – Società Italiana di Ostetricia e Ginecologia
Sinchi Warmi – Mujer Valiente
Sociedad Argentina de ginecología infantojuvenil
Sociedade Poruguesa da Contraceção
society for sustainable development
SOGOCI
Solidarité avec les Victimes et pour la Paix -SOVIP
Somos Jacarandas
Sonke Gender Justice
Space Allies (Japan)
SPANDAN
SRHR Hubs
Stowarzyszenie Aktywne Kobiety
Sucede aquí
Sukaar Welfare Organization
Surkuna Ecuador
Swedish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
SYFEDDI
Synergía, Initiatives for human rights
Table de concertation du mouvement des femmes de la Mauricie (TCMFM)
TAK Trójmiejska Akcja Kobieca / Women’s Action in Gdańsk Region
Taller Salud
The Cambodian Human Right and Development Association
The Community Agenda
The Community Health Rights Network
The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics
The Sexual Health Network of Quebec
The Trust And Support Foundation
Tierra viva
Today’s Women International Network
UKOO ( Believe Mental Health Care) CBO
UN Program, Occidental College
UNASSE, A.C.
UNISC International
United Youth for Sustainable Globe Eswatini
Universidad Autónoma Tomás Frías
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
Väestöliitto ry, Finland
Vigilia#InfanciaSinAbuso
Vision in Action Cameroon
Visión Trans
Visitacion Padilla
WATOG
WECF (Women Engage in Common Future)
Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka
Women Empowered
Women Empowering Women Initiative (WEWIN)
Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways
Women Global Network for Reproductive Rights Africa (WGNRR Africa)
Women on Web
Women Rights Defense, WORD
Women Working Group (WWG)
Women’s Fund in Georgia
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)
Women’s Initiative’s Supporting Group
Women’s Leadership Centre, Namibia
Women’s Legal Centre
Women’s Link Worldwide
Women’s Major Group
Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC)
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Young Activist Network for Abortion Advocacy (YANAA)
Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights
Youth Health organization Kenya
مؤسسة القاهرة للتنمية والقانون